C019. The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow

19. The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow. Text Source: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. I have removed the frame material and standardized the spelling; click here for the original spelling plus all notes to the story.

---

THE FATE OF MR. JACK SPARROW

There ain't no way for to make tattlers and talebearers turn out good. No, there ain't. I been mixing up with folks now going on eighty year, and I ain't seed no tattler come to no good end. That I ain't. And if old man Methuselah was living clean till yet, he'd up and tell you the same.

You remember what become of the bird what went tattling 'round about Brer Rabbit? It was one of these here uppity little Jack Sparrows, I expect. They was always bothering longer other folks's business, and they keeps at it down to this day—pecking here, and picking there, and scratching out yonder.

One day, after he been fool by old Brer Terrapin, Brer Rabbit was sitting down in the woods studying how he was going to get even. He feel mighty lonesome, and he feel mighty mad, Brer Rabbit did. It ain't put down in the tale, but I expect he cussed and reared 'round considerable.

Leastways, he was sitting out there by hisself, and there he sat, and study and study, till by and by he jump up and holler out, "Well, dog-gone my cats if I can't gallop 'round old Brer Fox, and I'm going to do it. I'll show Miss Meadows and the gals that I'm the boss of Brer Fox," says he.

(image source)

Jack Sparrow up in the tree, he hear Brer Rabbit, he did, and he sing out, "I'm gonna tell Brer Fox! I'm gonna tell Brer Fox! Chick-a-biddy-wind-a-blowin'-acorns-fallin'! I'm gonna tell Brer Fox!"

(image source)

This kind of terrify Brer Rabbit, and he scarcely know what he gonna do; but by and by he study to hisself that the man what see Brer Fox first was bound to have the inturn, and then he go hopping off towards home.

He didn't got far when who should he meet but Brer Fox, and then Brer Rabbit, he open up. "What this 'twixt you and me, Brer Fox?" says Brer Rabbit, says he. "I hear tell you goin' to send me to instruction, and nab my family, and destroy my shanty," says he.

Then Brer Fox he get mighty mad. "Who been telling you all this?" says he.

Brer Rabbit make like he didn't want to tell, but Brer Fox he insist and insist, till at last Brer Rabbit he up and tell Brer Fox that he hear Jack Sparrow say all this.

"Course," says Brer Rabbit, says he, "when Brer Jack Sparrow tell me that I flew up, I did, and I use some language which I'm mighty glad there weren't no ladies 'round nowheres so they could hear me go on," says he.

Brer Fox he sort of gape, he did, and say he expect he better be sauntering on. But, bless your soul, Brer Fox ain't saunter far, before Jack Sparrow flap down on a persimmon-bush by the side of the road, and holler out, "Brer Fox! Oh, Brer Fox!—Brer Fox!"

Brer Fox he just sort of canter long, he did, and make like he don't hear him.

Then Jack Sparrow up and sing out again, "Brer Fox! Oh, Brer Fox! Hold on, Brer Fox! I got some news for you. Wait, Brer Fox! It'll astonish you."

Brer Fox he make like he don't see Jack Sparrow, nor neither do he hear him, but by and by he lay down by the road, and sort of stretch hisself like he fixing for to nap. The tattling Jack Sparrow he flewed along, and keep on calling Brer Fox, but Brer Fox, he ain't saying nothing.

(image source)

Then little Jack Sparrow, he hop down on the ground and flutter 'round amongst the trash. This sort of attract Brer Fox attention, and he look at the tattling bird, and the bird he keep on calling, "I got somethin' for to tell you, Brer Fox."

"Get on my tail, little Jack Sparrow," says Brer Fox, says he, "'cause I'm deaf in one ear, and I can't hear out of the other. Get on my tail," says he.

Then the little bird he up and hop on Brer Fox's tail.

(image source)

"Get on my back, little Jack Sparrow, 'cause I'm deaf in one ear and I can't hear out of the other."

Then the little bird hop on his back.

(image source)

"Hop on my head, little Jack Sparrow, 'cause I'm deaf in both ears."

Up hop the little bird.

"Hop on my tooth, little Jack Sparrow, 'cause I'm deaf in one ear and I can't hear out of the other."

The tattling little bird hop on Brer Fox's tooth, and then...

Judge Bear come long next day, and he find some feathers, and from that word went round that old man Squinch Owl done caught another whatshisname.

(image source)

C019. Baer (p. 45). The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow

This is Chase019.

Types (none given)
Motifs K0827.3 Dupe persuaded to sing (dance) on trickster's body; when he approaches the mouth he is killed
K0815 victim lured by kind words approaches trickster and is killed
Notes
Harris compares this to a Kaffir tale which Thompson lists as K0815
"With no parallels in Europe, but parallels in Africa and the West Indies, the source is most likely Africa."

=========

MY NOTES

I'm not sure about "no parallels in Europe" since the Johnny-Cake story has the deafness trick or something similar to lure the cake into the mouth:
Johnny-Cake
Wonderful Cake
That is tale type ATU2025 (with the deafness trick at the end)
It also reminds me of the Native American stories about the dance-to-distract.

C019. The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow (original spelling)

19. The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow. Text Source: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. I have removed the frame material; click here for the standardized spelling plus all notes to the story.

---

THE FATE OF MR. JACK SPARROW

Lemme tell you dis der ain't no way fer ter make tattlers en tailb'arers turn out good. No, dey ain't. I bin mixin' up wid fokes now gwine on eighty year, en I ain't seed no tattler come ter no good een'. Dat I ain't. En ef ole man M'thoozlum wuz livin' clean twel yit, he'd up'n tell you de same.

You 'member w'at 'come er de bird w'at went tattlin' 'roun' 'bout Brer Rabbit? Hit wuz wunner dese yer uppity little Jack Sparrers, I speck. Dey wuz allers bodder'n' longer udder fokes's bizness, en dey keeps at it down ter dis day—peckin' yer, en pickin' dar, en scratchin' out yander.

One day, atter he bin fool by ole Brer Tarrypin, Brer Rabbit wuz settin' down in de woods studyin' how he wuz gwineter git even. He feel mighty lonesome, en he feel mighty mad, Brer Rabbit did. Tain't put down in de tale, but I speck he cusst en r'ar'd 'roun' considerbul. Leas'ways, he wuz settin' out dar by hisse'f, en dar he sot, en study en study, twel bimeby he jump up en holler out, "Well, dog-gone my cats ef I can't gallop 'roun' ole Brer Fox, en I'm gwineter do it. I'll show Miss Meadows en de gals dat I'm de boss er Brer Fox," sezee.

Jack Sparrer up in de tree, he hear Brer Rabbit, he did, en he sing out, "I'm gwine tell Brer Fox! I'm gwine tell Brer Fox! Chick-a-biddy-win'-a-blowin'-acuns-fallin'! I'm gwine tell Brer Fox!"

Dis kinder tarrify Brer Rabbit, en he skasely know w'at he gwine do; but bimeby he study ter hisse'f dat de man w'at see Brer Fox fus wuz boun' ter have de inturn, en den he go hoppin' off to'rds home. He didn't got fur w'en who should he meet but Brer Fox, en den Brer Rabbit, he open up, "W'at dis twix' you en me, Brer Fox?" sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. "I hear tell you gwine ter sen' me ter 'struckshun, en nab my fambly, en 'stroy my shanty," sezee.

Den Brer Fox he git mighty mad. "Who bin tellin' you all dis?" sezee.

Brer Rabbit make like he didn't want ter tell, but Brer Fox he 'sist en 'sist, twel at las' Brer Rabbit he up en tell Brer Fox dat he hear Jack Sparrer say all dis.

"Co'se," sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, "w'en Brer Jack Sparrer tell me dat I flew up, I did, en I use some langwidge w'ich I'm mighty glad dey weren't no ladies 'round' nowhars so dey could hear me go on," sezee.

Brer Fox he sorter gap, he did, en say he speck he better be sa'nter'n on. But, bless yo' soul, Brer Fox ain't sa'nter fur, 'fo' Jack Sparrer flipp down on a 'simmon-bush by de side er de road, en holler out, "Brer Fox! Oh, Brer Fox!—Brer Fox!"

Brer Fox he des sorter canter long, he did, en make like he don't hear 'im. Den Jack Sparrer up'n sing out agin, "Brer Fox! Oh, Brer Fox! Hol' on, Brer Fox! I got some news fer you. Wait Brer Fox! Hit'll 'stonish you."

Brer Fox he make like he don't see Jack Sparrer, ner needer do he hear 'im, but bimeby he lay down by de road, en sorter stretch hisse'f like he fixin' fer ter nap. De tattlin' Jack Sparrer he flew'd 'long, en keep on callin' Brer Fox, but Brer Fox, he ain't sayin' nuthin'.

Den little Jack Sparrer, he hop down on de groun' en flutter 'roun' 'mongst de trash. Dis sorter 'track Brer Fox 'tenshun, en he look at de tattlin' bird, en de bird he keep on callin', "I got sump'n fer ter tell you, Brer Fox."

"Git on my tail, little Jack Sparrer," sez Brer Fox, sezee, "kaze I'm de'f in one year, en I can't hear out'n de udder. Git on my tail," sezee.

Den de little bird he up'n hop on Brer Fox's tail.

"Git on my back, little Jack Sparrer, kaze I'm de'f in one year en I can't hear out'n de udder."

Den de little bird hop on his back.

"Hop on my head, little Jack Sparrer, kaze I'm de'f in bofe years."

Up hop de little bird.

"Hop on my toof, little Jack Sparrer, kaze I'm de'f in one year en I can't hear out'n de udder."

De tattlin' little bird hop on Brer Fox's toof, en den — [Here Uncle Remus paused, opened wide his mouth and closed it again in a way that told the whole story.]

Jedge B'ar come long nex' day, en he fine some fedders, en fum dat word went roun' dat ole man Squinch Owl done kotch nudder watzizname.